The Ice Prince
by GreekPrincess143
Summary: We all know Loki tried to take over the planet because he had "daddy issues", but what most people don't know is why or how. This explains Loki's childhood. Includes his relationships with his "family", and the man who taught him magic.
1. Prologue-Of Warriors and Babies

**DISCLAIMER**

**I do not own anything you recognize. Unfortunately.**

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Flashes of magic lit up the dark sky, illuminating the battlefield in Jötunheim below. The Jötun and Asgardian armies clashed without definate sides. The screams of dying horses, Asgardians, and giants provided an eerie chorus to the gore and blood that was the battlefield. The sounds of metal on metal completed the terrifying orchestra.

Near the field of death where the battle raged, there was a deserted Jötun city. The abandoned streets and sharp peaks glowed icy blue in the faint was eerily silent, as the frost giants had long since fled the city, leaving it empty. No, not empty. The frost giants had left behind one of their own.

It was a baby. But the boy, for it was male, was not the typical offspring of a frost giant. Although it shared the same icy blue skin, red eyes and markings characteristic of all frost giants, it was the size of a human baby, a runt to the frost giants. It was a freak, a burden. In the panic and haste of the abandonment of the city, someone, perhaps its mother, had left it alone to die, seizing the opportunity to rid an uncaring family of an unwelcome burden.

The baby lay in a box, wrapped in a gray woollen blanket. The blanket was carefully embroidered with a green border by someone who perhaps had made it for a child eagerly expected, only to be disappointed. There was even a green L sewn in cursive on one corner. Perhaps, it was an afterthought, or was made for a different child. Whatever the reason, it was lost in the chaos.

The baby cried fitfully, the sounds of the battle disturbing its rest. It lay there for what seemed like eternity, until the battle ceased and the noise died away.

Then, lone footsteps broke the awful silence. Slowly, painfully, they neared the box where the baby lay. Then they stopped.

The great king of Asgard stood in the dim blue-tinted light, looking down at the baby. His face, unforgiving and weary, slowly softened. He bent to pick to pick up the child, cradling it in his arms.

Slowly, the baby's blue skin and red eyes faded as the king held him in his hands. As the king watched, the baby's skin faded to the pale color of milk, and his eyes turned emerald green.

The king marvelled at the transformation. This frost giant looked like one of his own subjects! A plan began to form in the king's mind, slowly growing and changing until it was fully formed, like the metamorphous of a caterpillar to a butterfly.

The king gazed down t the baby. Feeling something akin to pity for the child and the role it was to play, he lifted the child up.

"I name you Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard."

Skill carrying the child, the king strode boldly to the Bifrost and vanished back to asgard. Neither he nor the child, newly christened Loki, would return for many years.


	2. Chapter 1-On The Path to Manhood

**Disclaimer**

**Still don't own anything you recognize.**

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7 years passed. Odin had taken Loki home to his queen Frigga and his newborn son, Thor. Loki was raised as Thor's younger twin brother. The boys had the best of life, raised as princes. Loki and Thor played together as children, running through the royal palace and causing mischief. By the age of 7, they were both healthy boys, well-loved by everyone.

One day, Frigga called the boys to the throne room where she sat regally on her throne with an announcement that would change their lives forever.

"Today, you start your training. You will learn the skills every prince needs to best serve his subjects. As princes, you are expected to learn a variety of subjects, as well as how to defend yourself," Frigga said regally.

She paused to let the boys process her words. Then, she continued on.

"Thor, you will train as a warrior. Tyros will be your mentor. Loki, you will be trained in magic. Bythezar will be your mentor," she said, bekoning 2 men forward.

One stepped forward. He was tall with long rust-colored hair and a thick beard and mustache. He wore the armor of a royal guard.

"I am Tyros, Captain of the Royal Guard. I will teach you, young Thor, everything a warrior needs: how to fight, battle tactics, how to defend yourself, and much more. You will learn anything a king would ever need. That, I promise you," he boomed.

Tyros bowed and stepped back. The other man, who could only be Bythezar, stepped forward. He had shifty, icy blue eyes and oily cropped black hair. Power seemed to exude from every pore, surging through the air and coiling around him like a snake.

"My name is Bythezar. I shall teach you magic, how to bend it to your will, to make it obey your every whim. You shall learn power," he said in silky, serpentine tones, piercing eyes locked on the green ones of the young prince who was to be his apprentice.

He bowed, breaking eye contact, and stepped back. Frigga stood.

"You start your lessons tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Thor and Loki hastily scurried out of the throne room, the booming laugh of Tyros following them down the hall. The princes ran through the palace to the gardens. They ran past the innumerable flowerbeds filled with vibrant blooms of every hue, past the regal rose garden, through the wonders and perfection contained in the gardens, to a wild, unkempt maze of thorny bushes on the outskirts of the garden. They made their way through the maze effortlessly, with a skill honed by practice, to the center where a lone willow tree stood, towering above the maze with dignity and timeless beauty.

They scaled the tree with ease, perching on the branches like birdes. Loiki picked a branch above his brother and let his feet swing, barely missing his brother, who batted them away.

"What do you think of the mentors?" Thor blurted out suddenly, anxious for his brother's opinion.

"I don't know," Loki answered honestly. "they scare me."

Thor smiled in relief up at Loki. "Me too."

They sat in companionable silence for a while, before their names were called and they ran back to where their mother stood, waiting for her sons.

She ushered them inside and handed them over to the old servant woman, Arenia, who had taken care of their father when he was a boy and cared for them.

She was ancient, with wrinkles and smooth white hair. She had ageless eyes, gray and still unclouded by age. Despite her advanced age, she was still strong, strong enough to discipline 2 unruly boys and invoke respect in boys unused to giving out respect, only used to receiving it. She was a force of nature, a human hurricane.

She quickly got both boys bathed and ready for bed, ignoring their protests.

"You have a big day tomorrow, you need your sleep," she said unyieldingly. "Now, march!"

She tucked the boys in and kissed them goodnight, ignoring their insistences that they were too old and they were men now.

She laughed and tickled their bellies. "Nonsense. All I see is 2 little boys who want to grow up too fast. You're still my babies."

She blew out the candles and shut the door. The boys were silent. Then Loki spoke.

"Goodnight, Thor."

"Goodnight, Loki. See you in the morning." Thor yawned and snuggled into his pillow.

"I love you, brother," Loki whispered, but there was no response; Thor was already asleep.

Loki pulled the blankets up and fell asleep. He dreamt only of glory.


	3. Chapter 2-Dungeons and Magic

**DISCLAIMER-not mine**

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Loki woke up early, eager to start his training. He shook his brother awake, ignoring his sleepy protests.

"Get up! We start our training today!" Loki said impatiently.

Thor popped out of bed and grinned. "I'm going to be a warrior!"

Arenia bustled into the room. "It's a big, big day! My babies are growing up!"

She dressed the boys in record time, dressing them in their new outfits and slicking back their hair. The two didn't complain or squirm as much as usual, for their exuberance was directed at their new lives.

As soon as Arenia was done, she ushered them down the many corridors to the throne room where Frigga, Tyros, and Bythezar waited patiently. Frigga gave a small speech about how proud she was and she expected of the princes before dismissing them to their mentors.

Thor only had time for a small smile and a wave to Loki before Tyros marched him out of the room. Frigga and Arenia had already departed, leaving Loki and Bythezar alone in the throne room.

Loki squirmed, uncomfortable under Bythezar's unwavering gaze. He didn't meet his mentor's eyes, looking at everything but.

"Look at me," Bythezar commanded.

Frightened, Loki met his mentor's eyes. The icy blue orbs seemed to see right through him, exposing every secret, every fear. They glinted with icy menace, veiled by a curtain of impassivity.

Loki could feel a chill racing across his skin. Alarmed, he tore his eyes away from his mentor's. The cold receded, and his heartbeat slowed to its normal tempo. What had happened? He had never felt so cold. No, perhaps that was not right. The winter snow was commonly that cold. He had never felt a cold so menacing, so hostile.

Loki was wrenched from his musings by Bythezar's low chuckle. He brought his eyes back to his mentor, taking care not to meet his eyes.

"You shall do." Bythezar's voice held no emotion, but his eyes betrayed him. He was satisfied by the boy assigned to him.

Bythezar spun on his heels and swept out of the room. Loki struggled to keep up with his mentor's pace, his little legs dwarfed by the lanky ones of Bythezar. Bythezar ignored his apprentice's trouble and led Loki through the corridors, down a winding staircase, to a labyrinth of hallways. Bythezar navigated the maze with ease, while Loki stayed close, terrified of being left behind in the dark gloom of the hallways. Bythezar led Loki through the hallways to a large door, made of a metal Loki could not identify. Bythezar paused. Loki stood back, keeping a safe distance, his heart racing.

The torches blew out suddenly, plunging the hallways in pitch darkness. Loki shivered, but did not complain, afraid of disapproval. The blackness seemed to close in on him, the walls pressing inward. Loki's heart began a furious tempo, faster and faster, until he thought it would burst from the strain.

An eerie blue ball of light blinked into existence, hypnotizing and bewitching. Loki grew calm, watching it hang in the air above Bythezar. Suddenly, it exploded outwards, shining and illuminating the hallway. Loki marveled at the details carved into the rock of the walls. There were scenes of battles, but not of the type warriors fight. The scenes were of great magicians. They were intricate and delicate, totally out of place in the gloom.

Ignoring Loki's wonder, Bythezar began to mutter under his breath. The temperature dropped and frost crept up the walls. Loki shivered. Bythezar continued chanting nonsensical phrases louder and louder until blue orbs circled him frantically. Loki cowered against the wall, his eyes wide.

Bythezar threw his hands up. The orbs paused in midair, before zooming back to his hands and condensing into one orb, pulsing brightly. Ice covered it, turning it into a solid ball. It continued to float before Bythezar took it into his hands. He pushed the ball into a slot in the door that Loki hadn't noticed before. It clicked into place, before receding back into the door. There was silence, and then the door swung open with a creak. Loki peered at the opening with mistrust. The ball of ice reappeared from behind the door and reverted to its original form. It zipped down a staircase and vanished.

Bythezar strode through the door and down the stairs, Loki hot on his heels. There was another door at the bottom. He knocked 3 times. There was a moment of silence, then a rough voice rang out.

"Who goes there?"

"It is I, Bythezar."

There was a pause, like the voice was processing his words. Then it spoke again.

"Password?"

"Amora decada."

The door creaked open, and the voice spoke once more.

"Enter at your own risk," it said ominously.

Bythezar brushed past the door into a small room and Loki followed. An odd creature stood there awkwardly.

"Boy, this is the guardian of the door, Willon. He is sworn to obey who go here. Willon, this is the new apprentice, Loki." Bythezar sounded bored.

The creature bowed. It was short and stocky, with long bat ears and wrinkled leathery skin. Its eyes protruded grotesquely from its head. It wore only a tattered loincloth.

"It be a pleasure to meet you, good sir. I be Willon, sir, once a humble Garzak, now guardian," he said proudly.

Loki nodded, liking the odd creature immediately.

"Thank you, Willon," Loki said formally.

Bored with the pleasantries, Bythezar exited the room into a magnificent, yet eerie, room. It had black marble floors, overhead arches supporting the ceiling, and granite gargoyles perched fearsomely on stone outcrops. There were 3 fireplaces on each side of the great hall,each with an icy blue fire blazing. There were emerald drapes hanging between fireplaces, each embroidered with gold thread. There were benches on either side of a long table covered with a green cloth. Food covered the table, and several magicians sat and chatted as they ate.

It was magnificent. There was an open door on each side, through which Loki could see the men's dormitory and the women's. Bythezar bypassed all this and led Loki through a series of rooms filled with wonders of all kinds. There was a dark room filled with all sorts of magical items, a library filled with books and scrolls, and countless others. Loki's head whirled with all the possibilities. This could all be his one day. He marveled at the beauty of this underground fortress and grinned.

This would be fun.

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**Yes, Willon is totally based on the House Elves from the Harry Potter series, especially Dobby.**


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